Volkswagen Diecast Models

Early in the 1930’s, automobiles were considered a luxury item in Germany. Vehicles produced at the time were large and unaffordable to the ordinary citizenry. In 1932, The German Labor Front requested German automakers to design a prototype for a “peoples car”, so Volkswagen was established in 1932.

In 1933, Ferdinand Porsche designed and built a car he called the "Volksauto".The car was designed and assembled with an air-cooled rear engine, torsion bar suspension, and a "beetle" shape with a rounded front hood for better aerodynamics. At the time, this was the only prototype delivered.

Frustrated that little progress had been made in getting his “peoples car” into production, Adolf Hitler ordered the production of a basic vehicle capable of transporting two adults and three children for the price of 990 Reichsmarks (or 396 dollars at the time). With no German automakers willing to build his car, he chose to build an all new, state owned factory utilizing Porsche’s design. In July of 1937, Volkswagen was officially established.

It is now the flagship of the Volkswagen Group – the largest automaker in the world.